Persons with Disabilities

Aging in the New Millennium

Be kind to people with these afflictions because someday theywill be yours! The face drop The nose and ear blow up The slump The breasts sag The neck flip-flops The age spot invasion The vision meltdown The hair identity crisis Lizard lips

Middle age is when your clothes no longer fit and it’s you who need the alterations

Myths about Aging

Everybody ages at the same rate beginning at age 40

Aging is a gradual and individual process. Persons with disabilities can age up to a decade earlier than generic population.

Diet, exercise and lifestyle can promote or retard age-related physical changes

Myth:

Fact:

Action:

Myth:

Fact:

Older people become senile as a result of the aging process.

Senility and dementia are not an inevitable consequence of growing older.

The majority of older persons are in good mental health.

Normal Physical Age-Related Changes

Skin Skin cell replacement slows as persons age

The dermis becomes less elastic with age

Increased thickness of outer skin layer

Increased wrinkling

Subcutaneous skin layers tend to lose fat and water

Implications

Wounds often heal more slowly

Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures

More vulnerable to hypothermia and hyp er thermia

Hair

Hair loss increases

Hair thickness decreases

Less pigment is produced at the hair roots

Body Composition The proportion of body weight contributed by water

declines

Proportion of body fat increases

Lean body mass in muscle tissue is lost

The number of muscle fibers decreases after age 50

Implications

Changes in body composition affect ability to metabolize many medications

The total calories needed generally decreases, but the need for higher proportions of protein, calcium and vitamins increases

Diet:

Vision Changes

Decreased acuity and depth perception

Peripheral vision decreases

Ability to focus decreases

Color sensitivity decreases

Implications Difficulty adjusting rapidly from lightness

to darkness

Environmental considerations:

Larger type

Signs

Equipment instructions

Musculo-skeletal Gradual loss in calcium content of bone

mass Spine becomes more curved and discs in the

vertebrae become compacted Shoulder width decreases; stiffness in joints

increases

Muscle strength and stamina

decline

Implications Moderate exercise can help prevent

symptoms of decline

Reduce risk of falls by modifying environment

Respiratory System

Breathing capacity is decreased

Respiratory efficiency decreases as muscles in lungs lose elasticity

Implications

Remain Active

Pace activities; avoid over-exertion

Sleep

Total sleep time decreases

Sleep/Wake cycles change; daytime napping and shorter sleep cycles at night

Hearing Changes Decreased high-frequency perception

Decreased pitch discrimination

Implications Reduce unnecessary background noise

Speak directly to the person in a clear voice; don’t shout

Speak in a lower tone of voice

Repeat key points in different ways

Taste & Smell

The number of taste buds decrease

Olfactory receptors decline

Implications

Changes in taste and smell can affect appetite

Touch Touch sensitivity deteriorates with age

Especially in the extremities!

Implication Prevent potential accidents such as

Burns

Minor cuts

Bruises

Menopause

Definition:

Menopause is the gradual decline and eventual cessation of menstruation

and of the physiological mechanisms that cause it.

Menopause occurs in three forms

Physiological

Pathological

Artificial

Physiological Menopause

The normal decline in ovarian function due to aging.

It begins in most women between ages 40 and 50 and results in infrequent ovulation, decreased menstrual function and eventually cessation of menstruation.

Pathological Menopause

The gradual or abrupt cessation of menstruation before age 40.

Factors that precipitate pathological menopause include severe infections, malnutrition, excessive radiation exposure and extreme emotional stress.

Artificial Menopause

The cessation of ovarian function following radiation therapy of surgical procedures.

Perimenopause Designates the transitionphase between

regular periods and no periods at all.

During the perimenopause women in their 40s feel most estranged from their bodies.

Important fact to know:

For two to three years the female body is out of sync with its own chemistry.

Symptoms of Earliest Phase of

Perimenopause

Surprise periods Night Sweats

Hot flashes

Insomnia

Incontinence Waistline bloat

Weight gainMigraines

Crying for no reason

Heart palpitationsTemper outbursts

Itchy, crawly skinThin dry scalp hair

Memory lapses

Increased cholesterol and triglycerides

Thick facial hair

What is a Hormone?

Hormones are body chemicals that carry

messages from one part of the body to another.

Made in specialized glands called endocrine

glands, hormones are circulated in the blood to

specific body cells.

Hormones control the chemistry of cells and

determine the rate at which our cells burn up food and

release energy.

Can Hormones ruin your life?

An imbalance or lack of hormones can shatter

your life?

They are vital for sexual responsiveness, passion, sensitivity, and for sustaining mental drive.

Osteoporosis

Description

The decrease in estrogen level is known to contribute to osteoporosis or bone loss caused by increased bone absorption and decreased bone formation. Bones affected by this disease lose calcium and phosphate salts then become porous, brittle and abnormally vulnerable to fracture.

Precautions Vitamin supplements C, E, B6, and

calcium enriched with vitamin D

Annual mammograms and bi-annual bone-density checks

Moderate exercise

Possible hormone-replacement therapy

Program Planning

for Seniors Slower-paced activities Senior-friendly environment Special adaptations Reality orientation Change in consumer’s objective criteria Vulnerable issues

Effective Support Techniques

Reassurance Repetitive messages Physical touch Reality orientation Environment

Old age is when candlelit tables are no longer romantic because you can’t read the menu!